Amos hadley



(No Model.)

A. HADLEY HAND BLOTTER.

No. 327,257. I Patented Sept. 29, 1885.

WITNESSES 1.7V VE JV T OR Q .dttorney u. PETERS. Phuln-Lhhugnpber. Waxhinglou. o t;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMOS HADLEY, OF WVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

HAN D-BLOTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 327,257, dated September 29, 1885.

Application filed June 11, 1885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AMOS HADLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at lashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand-Blotters or Blotting-Pads; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a hand-blotter or blotting-pad, to which a number of sheets of blotting-paper may readily and conveniently be applied and securely clamped; and with this purpose in view it is made to consist of certain features of construction which will' hereinafter be more fully set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of my blotter as improved. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are similar views showing certain modifications of the same. Fig. 5 is a central transverse section of another form of the same. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the form shown in section in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of hinge which may in some cases be adopted.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

The blotter is made with upper and lower plates, A and B, hinged together at the side, as shown at Fin Figs. 1, 2, and 3, or the lower plate may be recessed, as shown in Fig. 4, and the upper plate,A,be made in two parts, hinged to the elevated portion of the lower plate or block.

As it is only necessary that the clamping portion of the blotter should be readily detachable from the other part, a further modification (shown in Figs. 5 and 6) may be adopted in place of those above described. In this form the upper block or plate may be entirely removed from the lower one, to which it is attached by means of spring-catches J, provided with shoulders K, which are pressed downward into the mortise P, the shoulders K catching on shoulders 0, formed in the lower block at the edge of said mortise. In order that the upper plate may be readily detached from the lower one, small wires or rods L are attached to the spring-jaws J and extended (No model.)

out to the sides of the lower block, B, through an opentopped recess or slot, N, formed in said lower block. Thumb-pieces M are attached to the ends of the wires L, to which pressure may be applied for the purpose of releasing the spring-catch J. The jaws of the spring'catch J are made sufficiently wide to secure a proper hold on either side of the slot N.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, in which side hinges are used, a spring-catch, D, is provided on the upper plate, which fastens to a stud or lug, E, on the lower plate. This catch may be of a well-known form, (shown in Fig. 3,) or preferably of the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which is designed to adapt itself to the varying thickness of paper which may be clamped between the plates. This catch consists of a stud or lug, E, provided with downwardlyserrated teeth 6, which engage with upwardlyscrrated teeth d on the spring portion of the catch which is secured to the upper plate.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4 a turnbuckle, I, secured to or turning loosely on the shank of the knob or handle H, may be turned longitudinally on the blotter, so as to extend across the hinged joints of the upper plate, clamping them securely upon the paper, which is folded over the ends of the lower block, B.

In order to provide for the varying thickness of paper, compensating-springsG are provided, by means of which the pressure of the clamping device is communicated to the paper. Several forms of compensating-springs are illustrated in the different figures.

In Fig. 1 a simple curved spring is secured in any suitable manner transversely to the upper plate, so that when the cover is folded down upon the paper the springs will be pressed tightly upon the folded ends of the paper-,and will hold the spring-catch D at a sufficient tension upon its lug E.

In Fig. 2 a strip of spring metal, G, is secured at its center upon the lower block,B,so that its edge will be flush with the rear longitudinal edge of said block, and to the ends of said spring-strip are secured the lower leaves of the hinges F, the upper leaves being attached to the upper plate in the same manner as in Fig. 1. When the paper is clamped between the plates in this form, the ends of the spring G, with the hinges attached thereto, are raised and thus compensate for the thickness of the paper.

Instead of attaching the hinges to a separate spring, as in Fig. 2, the hinges themselves may be made of spring metal, the lower leaf, f, being made longer than the upper one, as shown in Fig. 7, and by its elasticity allow for the amount of play required between the plates.

In Figs. 8 and 6 still another form of spring is shown, which is formed by shortening the upper plate, A,and securing to the ends thereof a broad sheet of spring metal extending to or near the ends of the lower block, and bent or arched so that the ends will press upon the folded ends of the blotting-paper when the upper plate is closed upon the lower one.

Instead of attaching spring-plates to the upper plate, the upper plate may be made wholly of spring metal having its ends bent or arched in the manner described.

In the forms shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, blocks should be inserted between the lower leaves of the hinges and the lower plate of the blotter, in order that the springs may rest upon the paper with the same pressure at the side opposite the hinges as on the side to which they are secured.

Having fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent 1s 1. In a blotter, the combination of an upper plate, A, lower plate, B, hinges F, for securing scribed.

3'. In a blotter, the upper plate,A, provided at its ends with the broad sheets of spring metal G, arched as described, the lower plate, B,hinged to the said upper plate at one side, and spring-catch D, all combined and operating substantially as described.

4. The combination of an upper and a lower plate,hinged together at the side of the spring catch, consisting of the bent springplate D and the rigid part E, both of said parts being provided on their opposing faces with series of oppositely-inclined serrations or teeth, substantially as described.

5. In ablotter, the combination of an upper and a lowerplate, device for holding said plates together, and compensating-springs to allow for the varying thicknesses of paper to be secured between the plates, all operating substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AMOS HADLEY.

Witnesses:

H. E. BLAU, JOHN T. HEOK. 

